The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1887-02-26
A Newspaper Bohemian
BY FANNIE MAY rHousDALE.
CHAPTER v.

CHAPTER v.
l@QHE rsmainder of the journey to
EtnlEg Ashville was passed with no
IS& other variations than nature's.
i &S@ Here there was no monotouy.
The shiftiugs aud changes Stephanie
found so uiverting, that the bitterness
Of the pill she had just swallowed was
forgotten long before they entered the
small city, bright with the benediction
of late sunshine.
When she got down out Of the stage
before hotel smart with new paint,
sho was not sorry to be able TO feel her
feet again. She watched the stage,
bearing her lonesome looking fellow
traveller, rattle away out Of sight, then
followed the obsequious and grinning
porter through vast and empty corri>
ders, looking like "banquet halls de-
serted," for the summer guests had
flown. The room given her was so
spacious aud airy that she was not
conscious of restriction, even after her
communion with the heart Of nature.
1t was strikingly suggestive that if
there was any one thing which the
hotel possessed supe,f fluffy of, it was
space and air. Its very name was
breezily musical, the "Swannanoah."
Stephanie found her work there,
something like the town, up hill. In
answer to her card to one of the newspa.
per offices, came a young lawyer bear
ing a note of Introduction from the
editor, stating that Mr.. Frank Graves,
tho bearer was 50 well known and
popular, that he could be of more
service than himself to Miss Byrne,
inasmuch as he the editor) was
decidedly unpopular. ga misfortune
which I never regretted so much as
now," wrote this gallant newspaper
man.
The young lawyer, with the very
best intentions In the world, seemed
rather at sea as how to proceed, and be-
ing somewhat timid withal, they made
a bad start. If he only possessed a glib
and fluent tongue, Stephanie thought
despairingly. Surely he could not be
much of lawyer.
The result was, that when they re-
turned to the hotel after several hours
work, they were scarcely better ac-
quainted than when they started, and
their i'll success would have set the
Colonel by the ear, could he have
known it.
1--WE haven't done much 80 far" the
young man apologised as he sat knead-
ing his soft wide.awake eyes, with
nervous white fingers, "but that is TO
great extent my fault"
ooh, no indeed, sir" Stephanie hast
ened to object in a rather faint voice.
eyes, I think it is largely my fault;
for this is my first attempt in this line.
But must add in justice to Ashville,
that she is one of the most persistently
canvassed towns in the country. There
has been three newspapermen here
this week already, and I met another
one ut my Office who came In with
you. He's u News and Courier man.
He told me he would leave on the first
train, as he couldn't expect to compete
with you. Besides he was too gallant"
"He need not have hurried himself"
Stephanie could not help from observ-
ing with a small show OF irony. But
she was sorry minute after, as she
saw the embarrassment in the young
mans face.
She was sitting just where the light
shone softest in her lovely, dark eyes,
slowly uubuttoning her gloves. There
was pretty cir of WEAKNESS about her
that made his heart go out to her. He
thought to himself that he was ashamed
of this unappreciative town. Why, he
would have taken her paper at ten
dollars, and felt proud of the opportu-
nifty.
"They say bad beginning is lucky,
you know" he said as he rose to 60.
sI will call for you again, if you wish
me, at three o'clock, and we'll do up
the lawyers. I know them all well,
and will not be 80 awkward among
Them / hone. Pleasesdop't blame me,